What is Kefir?

Kefir is a fermented dairy milk drink, made by adding a live culture of bacteria to milk and leaving it to ferment. The result is a tarty flavoured drink reminiscent of, and with a consistency between,milk and yoghurt.

Originating from the region where Europe meets Asia, kefir has been made for over 2,000 years and is drunk in many countries including Russia and former Soviet states for its health benefits. Kefir originated from parts of Eastern Europe and Southwest Asia. The name is derived from the Turkish word keyif, which means “feeling good”. The drink is understood to be rich in beneficial bacteria, containing up to 47 different strands.

Kefir is a fermented drink, traditionally made using cow’s or goat’s milk. It is made by adding kefir “grains” to milk. These are not grains in the conventional sense, but cultures of yeast and lactic acid bacteria that resemble cauliflower in appearance. Over a period of time, the microorganisms in the kefir grains multiply and ferment the sugars in the milk, turning it into kefir. So basically, kefir is the drink, but kefir grains are the “starter kit” that you use to produce the drink. The bacteria within the kefir grains turn the lactose in the milk into lactic acid, so kefir tastes sour like a natural yogurt.
Bottom Line: Kefir is a fermented milk drink, cultured from kefir grains. It is a rich source of calcium, protein and B-vitamins.

Kefir grains may contain about 30 strains of bacteria and yeasts. Other fermented dairy products are made from far fewer strains, and don’t contain any yeasts.

Our kefir is made in The Food Hub, Drumshanbo, Co. Leitrim from organic milk sourced locally from farms within the North-west of Ireland.

Useful Information About our Kefir:

Recommended Daily Serving 100 grams per day

Shake well before use – Some separation may occur and this is perfectly natural, as Blakes Organic ‘Feel Good’ Kefir is a live natural product with no Artificial Preservatives, Stabilizers, Sugars, Artificial Sweeteners, Artificial Flavourings or Colours added to the product. (In other words, it only contains Organic Pasteurized cow’s milk and the Kefir grains to activate the fermentation process).

May be drunk straight from the bottle.

Other seving suggestions

Fruit may be added to the kefir to make a delicious smoothie, but we recommend that you do this shortly before consumption as the natural sugars found within the fruit may cause a second fermentation process.

It can be added to Porridge Oats or Muesli and allowed to soak overnight, (keep chilled below 5 degrees to slow down the fermentation process). This will produce a creamy flavour to your kefir porridge.

Our kefir may also be used as a substitute to buttermilk in baking bread.